If you are going to be out of the house for at least a few hours, what do you consider essential items to take as a basic hypo safety kit? I carry far too much as I am scared of hypos, but I wondered what an average would be??
Eg how many packets of glucose sweets, plus hypogel, plus biscuits etc??
I am on a pump so also carry spare parts like an infusion set and batteries etc.
Just wondered what everyone else considers a “hypo safety kit”??
Thanks
Dee
2 mini packets of Haribo (each is one standard hypo treatment) and 1/2 a bag of M&Ms (because 1 bag is 2 treatments).
But I seldom have unexplained lows (only 2 in one year with diabetes) and I have an insane tolerance of hypos; I don’t even consider it a hypo unless I’m below 3.5.
The Haribo is my new favourite hypo treatment. I love the ‘tangtastics’ range because they taste sour rather than sweet - though they are pure sugar and were in fact recommended by my diabetes team!
I alwasy carry a tube of glucose tabs. I like the raspberry flavor.
Karen, is that all you carry?? What about slow carbs for after the tabs?
I only carry glucose tablets too. Usually wherever I go I can access something carby. If I will be out of reach of cafes I do take some biscuits or something.
Depends on how long, where I’m going, etc.
I like to have a bottle of glucose tabs in my backpack when I head to work with it.
If I’m heading to the store or to the park with the kids, the car already has some glucose tabs in the glove compartment.
I will sometimes carry around a skinny tube of glucose tablets if I’m going out for a while with no backpack for the “bottle” of glucose tabs.
If I’m just heading around the corner for lunch (and there is no shortage of places to get food) I’m quite comfortable leaving without any glucose tabs.
I am more likely to be carrying a bg meter and strips on my person (e.g. in a pocket), than I am to be carrying the glucose tabs.
I just take one of the small tubes of glucose tablets. I have never needed any follow-up carbs. I leave one of these, or some tabs in a plastic bag in all my purses and backpack so I don’t have to think about it when I go out. I do occasionally use them while at home and replace with fresher ones. I carry my meter/remote with me whenever I go out because it is linked to my pump. I have a couple spare batteries I keep in my meter/remote but I don’t take spare sets with me unless I am travelling out of town. (I no longer work 10 hour days, so am not gone for huge amount of time unless I’m travelling)
I’ve been meaning to make an emergency backpack in case of a disaster, but haven’t gotten around to it. As I’ve gotten older I’ve been less inclined to spend much time worrying about all the things that “could happen”.
one tube of glucose tabs used to be the standard. i usually am near enough to vending machines/food locations, so i suppose i would consider money an ‘essential’ as well. recently, however, in a tai chi class, a whole tube of glucose tabs (40g CHO) was not enough. i have since decided carrying around a regular-sized bag of skittles is worthwhile. i’m not sure if you’re going to find a ‘normal’ hypo safety kit, but it is definitely interesting to see what everyone else is confortable carrying with them.
granola bar, candied orange slices, glucose tabs (last resort, I don’t like them), meter.
I carry two syringes, but I do not carry any pump supplies, I figure if pump crashes and dies, I will draw insulin from the reservior using the syringes. (don’t I sound brave??!!) ( I would panic)
Skittles and nut bars. I have a kit that stays in the car with an extra infusion set, batteries, a couple of syringes, a spare meter/strips/lancet device, and a couple of those tiny packs of honey you get at pancake places. A bag of Costco mixed nuts to munch if I start to trend low. I can’t abide glucose tabs.
Nuts have very few carbs and wouldn’t do much at all for a low.
In my emergency kit that goes with me to work or when I leave the house for more than a couple hours has the following:
1 vial of insulin
1 reservoir
1 siloette set
1 AAA battery
1 tube of Dex Tabs
Assorted meds, tylenol, allergy pills
a few bandaids
1 vial of teststrips
all in a pencil case.
as well is my glucometer I have 5 and all are used ( bedside table, kichen counter, motorcycle saddlebag, back pack) and a spare.
also in many spots are Dex tabs (car, beside table, motorcycle saddlebag, backpack) empty Altoids tins make great keepers for these.
So there you have it… 
Zoe, not for a real low, but to munch on if I’m trending a little low. They work for that (for me).
yup, that is all I carry. When you asked about minimum hypo kit I replied with the minimum. I treat a hypo with tabs and it only takes one or two. I don’t need slow carbs to treat a hypo later, that would be a different problem I suspect.
A meter and a tube of glucose tabs is the minimum kit for me.
Meter & test strips, glucagon emergency kit, a juicebox and a package of Smarties is the absolute minimum for us.
A tube of glucose tabs. And of course a meter. Sometimes a granola bar or two if I’m particularly active.
No real need for slow-acting carbs (protein) if you’re on a pump. The reason that was once important is because we used insulins such as NPH which peaked when we weren’t ready for it, and needed something to sustain us through the duration of the peak. If you have a hypo while on the pump, the reason is likely because of (1) increased activity, or (2) ate a smaller-than-calculated meal. There is no 30-90 minutes worth of insulin that’s about to haunt you, so no need for slow carbs. Besides, if you do have something like that, it will slow down the fast-carbs which are there to treat the low in the first place.
I carry Glucose tabs and my meter and recently I’ve started to carry a juicy juice box with me.
I take 1 tube of tabs, 40g CHO, 1 Cliff Bar 42g slower carb and one yellow Lab hypo-alert dog ; o )
Thanks for all your replies!! The variation is interesting, I carry more than any of you but I have a severe phobia of hypos and don’t believe that any of the sugar I carry will actually work!!
I think I’ll cut down a bit though, carrying a rucksack just to walk the dog round the park is a bit ridiculous!! LOL!!
I was wondering whether to get one of these HypoWallets? http://www.hyposite.co.uk/hypowallet/
Dee